


At the ocean burning

by swordandpen



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 02:42:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swordandpen/pseuds/swordandpen
Summary: Adam has never been to the ocean, and Ronan thinks that's a travesty.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> slight mention of past sadness and danger, this is mostly and unrepentantly the written equivalent of cotton candy

It was a bright, still day in spring when Ronan found out Adam had never seen the ocean firsthand. 

Considered, it made sense. When would Adam Parrish have had time for a day off at the beach? But that didn’t make it alright with Ronan that the situation continue

Although, if Adam had never been there before, that meant he probably wouldn’t have any bad memories or associations about it either. Ronan could make sure Adam’s first time at the sea was good - better than good. 

-

It was Adam’s spring break from his first year at a university a few states north. He wasn’t at the Barns the whole break, but he’d agreed with some relief to come down for the first week, and they still had a few days left. He needed an actual break, and it helped that Ronan was stubborn enough to convince him, without actually demanding anything. 

They had been watching, of all things, a nature documentary. Ronan had used the excuse of it being relevant to Adam’s biology classes as a way to make Adam take a break from studying for said classes. Adam knew what he was doing, of course. But there was a lot of incentive not to argue. Beginning with the fact that watching TV with Ronan meant cuddling. And, in this case, a lot of making out. 

After enough of that to need to catch their breaths, they were twined together watching a slow pan over a sparkling sea. Adam was entranced. 

The narrator, turned down low, said something about the slope of the continental shelf. “I’ve heard the ocean’s really cold to swim in, but in this weather I think I’d be ok freezing,” Adam said.

Ronan was thinking of when his family used to drive out to the shore. How he’d once been nearly caught in a riptide, until Declan pulled him back with a scolding. How Matthew stayed in shallower water, laughing joyfully when a wave crashed on him. His parents carefree on the shoreline. And the sense of awe - something verging on peace - he had felt when diving into a wave. The thoughts of his parents, though, made him agitated, and he looked over at Adam to break the path his mind was beginning going on. He thought of the rare moments Adam was unequivocally happy and relaxed, and the look on Adam’s face right now. There was a sort of longing there. 

So he decided then.


	2. Chapter 2

A few nights later, neither could sleep and the house felt too still. Opal was god knows where and Chainsaw was asleep. Adam was interrupted from staring at a wall by Ronan throwing him a bag of snacks and sunblock. Ronan himself held another bag and a six-pack of Cokes. 

“We’re going on a field trip,” Ronan announced. Adam sighed in resignation. He took up the bag and followed Ronan out to the car, trying and failing to get more information out of him on the way there. 

-

For a few hours was enough just to drive and to know his boyfriend slept peacefully beside him. Eventually, though, civilization started to grow up around them and Ronan got twitchy.

"mWhat."

"We're going to be there soon, sleeping beauty."

"We're gonna be where soon again?"

"Shut up, I told you it's a surprise."

Adam rolled his eyes. But he grabbed a Coke for the caffeine and watch the highway become shuttered shops and bright painted houses with cheesy sea themed decorations. The darkness outside was slowly giving way to mist and to pale gold light at the edges.

It was a small, quiet town, made quieter by the slight chill keeping most people away. The BMW pulled up at the end of an empty street ending in a dune. Sand spilled onto the cracked pavement. While nothing was visible over the hill and its sharp grasses and scattered tenacious pine shrubs, the air was bright with the sea. 

Ronan slid out of the car and loped to the walkway over the dune. He looked serious, even somber, for a moment. Then he turned towards Adam and broke into his shark-smile. 

Adam stopped for a moment outside the BMW, his hand resting on the warm metal. Then he smiled too, a quieter smile, and took off after the now-running Ronan. 

-

Ronan started swearing when he hit the still-wintry water. Some seaweed tangling around Ronan’s leg made his stomach lurch with the memory of the water where he and Opal had almost drowned. He stood there at knee height tensely. But when he turned to look at Adam, it helped, as he thought of being saved and then of where he was now instead. Adam caught up and stood next to him, shivering but running his hand through the dark water wonderingly. It was cold in a way that made sure he was perfectly awake. He splashed Ronan with his hand, and swore again and did the same; they both ended up deeper in the water. 

He looked at Ronan, and Ronan looked back; they kissed as waves rolled through.


End file.
